Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-06-16

should then Ind myself striving
follow the example of these great mel
perhaps winning some Of the reward
that fall to the successful in a caree
OF letters. But such matters as hom
life or wife or children had neye
caused me moments thought. Th
change in me, then, was sudden ans
startling. As the scene that delight
us one moment is forgotten in tn,
beauty of the one that replaces it, 8,
did my ambition fall AZ the face 0
Marie rose up before me. A new
realm of ideas was opened, but tn,
new would not blend with the old, fol-
the one was absorbed in the other.
when common sense had in mea.
sure returned to me, began to re.
member that my hopes aud dream,
rested but on a name-'Marie Jenda.
vi. the daughter of the Baron Jenda.
Vi, OF an unknown chateau on the
road to Versailles We were seem.
ingly separated BY as great a gulf as
divides the Old World from the New.
Whom did l know in Paris, then, that
| could 60 to and say, 4 have fancy
to be introduced to the daughter Of
the Baron Jendavi-will you do the
service for me?' Such a reflection
disturbed me more in those days than
would have been willing to have
confessed. Agitated with fear and
hope, | paced the narrow room where
| lodged, until / sank upon my bed
with weariness. Who would unlock
the gate that shut me from the pres
ence Of the woman | would have
staked so much to have seen?
In such a mood, | chanced to re.
member my letters of introduction
In my negligence and desire for soil.
tude, / had made use of the one to the
head of the University alone. The
others-and there were many-lay as
| had brought them from England.
With some anxiety lest they should
be missing. / opened my valise. and
after a short search, found them in
tact. There was one to Monsieur Bail
ly, the talented and at that time pop.
ular Mayor of Paris, and another to
Madame de Stael; also to Lafayette,
at that time the Captain of the Ma
tional Guard. The others were to cit
liens Of less position, and | did not
attach much Importance TO the posses
sion Of them for the purpose had in
view.
| presented my letters at the ear
liest opportunity. was cordially re-
ceived, and, by the instrumentality of
Lafayette, introduced in the family
of the Baron Jendavi. l say family;
but l should add that the Baron and
his daughter alone were numbered in
it, he having lost his wife some ten
years before / met him. He was a
thorough representative Of the French
school Of mobiles as then existing;
courteous to a degree, dressed with
extreme care, yet without great dis
play; of a reserved manner, and ap-
parently devoid of affection or sympa
thetic feeling. He received me for
some time in his library, where he had
collected many treasures Of literature
and of art; and as he was very anx-
ious to learn something about the men
and manners of that productive set OF
scholars and writers who had lately
adorned the clubs Of London, | man.
aged in a measure TO interest him.
But it was wearying work for me sit
ting there with that grave old man,
dressed in his solemn black, the dia'
mond buckles upon his shoes alone re-
lieving the dullness of his attire. and
knowing that Marie, so full Of lif,
and picturesqueness and color, wal
scampering across the great PARK will
the dogs, or kneeling at her davotionl
in the chapel-a very type of girl
hood and purity and love. Yet those
hours of heavy explanations of the pc
culiarities Of johnson, the foibles o
Boswell. the failings Of Goldsmith
were alike forgotten when at dinner
faced her. and could for some minute
be entranced with the soft beauty o
her face. with the sweet gentleness o
her words.
"'Ah, you ask, why has my lif'
been a mystery The key to thi
mystery is buried in those days, wheI
no world seemed so fair as France, n,
woman so beautiful as Marie. IloveC
her as / believe no man ever bette
loved a woman; and she. too. return
ed my atfection-not with careles
word. not with half.promise mad
but to be broken, but with the Who'll
outpouring of her affectionate nature
with love that was strOng-becaus
twas n love-